Amperometric determination of choline and acetylcholine with enzymes immobilized in a photocross-linkable polymer

Choline and acetylcholine sensors were prepared by using choline oxidase and acetylcholinesterase, entrapped in photocross- linkable poly(vinyl alcohol) bearing styrylpyridinium (PVA-SbQ). The measurements were based on the detection of hydrogen peroxide liberated by an enzyme reaction (choline oxidase) or two sequential enzyme reactions (acetylcholine esterase and choline oxidase). The determination range for choline was 2.5-2-150 αmol 1^-1 and for acetylcholine 20-2-750 αmol 1^-1. The response times were 2-2-4 min. The immobilized enzyme membranes stored in a dry state were very stable and no loss of activity was observed after storage for 60 days.     

Alcohol-FET sensor based on a complex cell membrane enzyme system

An alcohol -FET sensor was developed by use of a complex enzyme system in a cell membrane and an ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET). The cell membrane of Gluconobacter suboxydans IFO 12528, which converts ethanol to acetic acid, was immobilized on the gate of an ISFET with calcium alginate gel coated with nitrocellulose. This ISFET (1), a reference ISFET without the cell membrane (ISFET 2) and an Ag/AgCl reference electrode were placed in 5 mM Trismalate buffer (pH 5.5, 25°C), and the differential output between ISFETS 1 and 2 was measured. The output of the sensor was stabilized by adding pyrroloquinoline quinone. The response time was ca. 10 min., and there was a linear relationship between the differential output voltage and the ethanol concentration up to 20 mg l^?1. The output of the sensor was stable for 40 h below 30°C. The sensor responded to ethanol, propan- 1-ol and butan- 1-ol, but not to methanol, propan-2-ol and butan-2-ol. The sensor was used to determine blood ethanol.     

Synthesis, characterization, and autoreduction of a highly electron-deficient porphycenatoiron(III) with trifluoromethyl substituents

The synthesis of the first fluorine-containing iron porphycenes, 2,7,12,17-tetraethyl-3,6,13,16-tetrakis(trifluoromethyl)porphycenatoiron(III) chloride [FePc(EtioCF(3))]Cl and its micro-oxo dimer [FePc(EtioCF(3))](2)O and their characterizations are reported. The crystal structure of [FePc(EtioCF(3))](2)O displays a severe saddled distortion of the porphycene framework due to the steric and electronic effects of the CF(3) substituents. The oxidation and reduction potentials for the micro-oxo dimer are significantly more positive compared to those observed for the reference micro-oxo dimer of the iron porphycenes and porphyrins having no electron-withdrawing substituent. Moreover, the (1)H and (19)F NMR spectra of [FePc(EtioCF(3))](2)O demonstrated that the micro-oxo dimer is readily converted into the monomeric ferrous complex in pyridine-d(5) through autoreduction for 1 day, although the reduction of the reference iron porphycenes and porphyrins are not observed in pyridine. These results indicate that the trifluoromethylated iron porphycene is a highly electron-deficient complex with a pyrrolic macrocycle ligand.     

Application of microbiological sensors in fermentation processes

A review is presented of microbiological sensors which are composed of micro-organisms immobilized in a membrane and coupled to a sensing element. Conventional microbiological sensors such as those for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ethanol and acetic acid are discussed briefly. Novel sensors are then described. The sensor for carbon dioxide is based on a chemoautotrophic bacterium, that for alcohol on cell membranes of the acetic acid bacteria, Gluoconabacter suboxydans. Sensors for BOD carbon dioxide are based on thermophilic bacteria. Finally, a microbial field effect transistor sensor (FET) for alcohol sensor is described. For all the sensors, the ranges of linear response and their long-term stabilities are reported.     

Anisotropic electrical conductivity of drawn elastomeric ionene–TCNQ salts

Elastomeric ionene–TCNQ salts with favorable electrical, mechanical, and processing characteristics were drawn mechanically. The electrical conductivity parallel and perpendicular to the drawing axis was investigated. Correlation between anisotropic conductivity and the change in microstructure was discussed. The resistivity ρ at 25°C of the simple salt (EI-TCNQ₀) and the complex salt (EI-TCNQ_0.5) were on the order of 10⁵ and 10² Ω cm, respectively. In the drawn TCNQ salts, the ρ parallel to the drawing axis increased greatly; on the other hand, the ρ perpendicular to this axis increased slightly or was similar to the ρ of the undrawn TCNQ salts. The anisotropy in the ρ of EI-TCNQ_0.5 between the two directions reached 40 times. The activation energy also increased in the direction parallel to the drawing axis. In the undrawn TCNQ salts, the continuous conduction paths exist isotropically. With drawing, the continuous conduction paths, particularly in the direction parallel to the drawing axis, break or make a structural change. The anisotropic conductivity disappeared with time in EI-TCNQ₀; however, it was present in EI-TCNQ_0.5 even after 200 days under ambient conditions.     

PHOTOOXYGENATION OF MAGNESIUM meso-TETRAPHENYLPORPHYRIN*

Abstract— On unsensitized photooxygenation magnesium meso -tetraphenylporphyrin underwent oxidative ring cleavage yielding a bilitriene derivative as the sole product. Kinetic studies by quenching technique using singlet-oxygen quenchers, ß-carotene and α-tocopherol, and by substrate direct disappearance technique (Foote and Ching) indicated that only singlet-oxygen process is involved in the photooxygenation, and that the rate of total consumption of singlet oxygen ( k _Q+ k _R) is 1.0 ± 0.4 times 10⁸ M ^-1s^-1.     

Stable, specific, and reversible base pairing via Schiff base

We here present a novel covalently linked base pair via Schiff base formation between 5-formyluracil (fU) and 5-aminocytosine (AmC). Formation of the Schiff base linkage proceeds reversibly and does not require any additives. The cross-linked DNA is very stable under denaturing conditions, whereas it completely dissociates upon heating at 90 degrees C. The pairing ability of AmC and fU is very specific and is applicable to the detection of fU, which is the major oxidative lesion of T in DNA. We propose the Schiff base linkage as a new artificial base pairing scheme to create functional DNAs.     

Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of a tadpole shrimp (Triops cancriformis) and analysis of museum samples

The complete mitochondrial DNA (mtNDA) of the tadpole shrimp Triops cancriformis was sequenced. The sequence consisted of 15,101 bp with an A+T content of 69%. Its gene arrangement was identical with those sequences of the water flea (Daphnia pulex) and giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), whereas it differed from that of the brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) in the arrangement of its genes for tRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed T. cancriformis to be more closely related to the water flea than to the brine shrimp and giant tiger prawn. We also compared the 16S rRNA sequences of five formalin-fixed tadpole shrimps that had been collected in five different locations and stored in a museum. The sequence divergence was in the range of 0-1.51%, suggesting that those samples were closely related to each other.     

Radiation-induced postpolymerization of trioxane in the solid state. V. Studies on copolymer composition

Studies on the composition of copolymers obtained by the radiation-induced solid-state postpolymerization of trioxane with 1,3-dioxolane have been carried out. Gas-chromatographic analysis of the reaction mixtures showed that most of the 1,3-dioxolane disappears rapidly from the reaction system in an early stage of polymerization, and that the fraction of ethylene oxide units in the copolymer chain [E] decreases markedly with increasing polymer yield. This finding was confirmed by NMR spectra of the copolymer. DSC thermograms of the copolymer indicated that the relationship between the melting point and the average composition of copolymers prepared in this study differed from that found for copolymers in which comonomer units are distributed statistically in the polymer chain. It was suggested that the copolymer formed by the radiation-induced solid-state postpolymerization of trioxane–1,3-dioxolane is characterized by a heterogeneous distribution of ethylene oxide units in the copolymer chain. It was also found that, in the radiation-induced solid-state postpolymerization of trioxane–1,3-dioxolane, the amount of tetraoxane formation increased linearly with increasing polymer yield. Although it is extremely small compared with that obtained in solution polymerization, it is slightly larger in the trioxane–1,3-dioxolane system than in the trioxane system.